Edward w



(No Model.)

B. W. WHITTAKER.-

TENNIS BELT.

No. 450,050. Pd'tentedApr, 7. 1891.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

EDIVARD \V. lVI-IITTAKER, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

TENNIS-BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,050, dated April '7, 1891.

Application filed December 10, 1390. Serial No. 374,232. (No model.)

.To aZl whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD W. WHITTA- KER, a citizen of the United States residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tennis-Belts, of which the following is a specification.

I have had in view the production ofa belt made of a broad smooth band of satin, as distinguished from the plaited and folded tennis-sashes heretofore in use.

I will first describe my invention wit-h reference to the accompanying drawings, and will point out in the claims the novelty of the invention.

In said drawings, Figure I represents in perspective my improved tennis-belt. Fig. II is a side view of the same in one form, and Fig. III a similar view, partly broken away, in another form. Fig. IV is a sectional view through the clasp shown in Fig. III. Fig. V is a detail view of the safety-pin.

1 is a broad, fiat, smooth central band of satin or other suitable material.- This main part is, say, four inches wide; but its ends are slightly tapering and narrowed, as shown at 2, to enter and be attached to elongated rings 3, which have vertical Spreaders at a for strengthening them.

5 5 are straps of leather tapering and fixed to the rings 3 at theirlarger ends and adapted to be united at their smaller ends and adjusted by the clasp now to bedescribed.

G is the front or main body of the clasp, having a rectangular yoke 7, to which one strap 5 is attached. To the inner side of the front 6, pivoted in its top and bottom flanges 8, is a cam-shaped clamp 9, between which and the front 6 the other strap 5 is attached to be passed and clamped. A sliding keeper 10 holds the ends of the last-named strap to position.

Another form of attachment is shown in Fig. IV. Here the clasp has two bodies 6 6,

united by hook 11 and eye 12, each having the pivot-clamp 9, so that both straps 5 may be adjusted, and thus extend considerably the scope of the belt. In this form the keeper 10 may retain both of the loose ends of the straps. The broad portion of the belt is in front of the wearers body when in use. These belts are sometimes inconvenient, as theyare apt to rise above the trousers of the wearer, and I have therefore devised means for bolding them down over the top of the trousers. To this end I sew or otherwise attach on the inside of the front portion of the belt a narrow vertical tape 13, to which I fix a safetypin 14, having an arm secured to the middle portion of the tape. hen the belt is in place, the safety-pin can be attached to the trousers, and the belt is thereby held securely in position. In a broad band of this sort I find it desirable to use the rings 8, which allow the movements of the wearers body without creasing the band Having thus described my invention, the

following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

'1. A tennis-belt having a broad central band, end straps provided with suitable fastening, and the elongated rings within which the adjacent ends of the band and straps are fixed, the rings permitting the movement of the wearers body without the liability of creasing the band, substantially as described.

2. A tennis-belt having a broad smooth central band, end straps provided with suitable fastening and connected with the ends of the ban d, the vertical tape extending across the band, and a safety-pin having an arm scoured to the middle portion of the tape, substantially as described.

E. W. WHITIAKER.

Witnesses:

HARRY E. KING, WM. H. HENDEE. 

